US Payroll Specialist

Chennai · 3+ years experience · Hybrid · Posted Oct 8, 2026

At a glance

Toast is seeking a Senior Payroll Specialist to join their in-house North America (NAM) payroll team in India, supporting NAM region employees.
This high-impact, hybrid role owns complex payroll processing, escalations, systems, and compliance initiatives while overseeing day-to-day transactional work.
The position acts as a subject matter expert across payroll operations, mentors Payroll Specialists, and serves as a key backup to the Payroll Team Lead.

Serve as the primary processor for assigned US and Canadian payrolls, delivering accurate and timely end-to-end and off-cycle payroll processing.
Process new hires, terminations, leaves of absence, commissions, garnishments, time and absence entries, equity, bonuses, retroactive pay, and escheatments.
Process clawbacks for overpayments and perform year-end activities as needed.
Assist with research, resolution, and setup of payroll tax requests and adjustments, maintaining the Equifax platform and performing SUI rate updates in Workday and ADP.
Respond to ServiceNow tickets accurately on the first instance and ensure SLAs are met for employee inquiries.
Maintain and update employee payroll records in Workday to ensure data integrity and compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
Participate in Workday testing cycles, including User Acceptance Testing (UAT), as assigned by the Payroll Team Lead.
Generate regular and ad hoc reports on payroll data, labor costs, and compliance metrics using Excel and AI.
Stay informed on federal, state, and local payroll laws, supporting audits, month-, quarter-, and year-end close, tax filing, and General Ledger activities.
Review payroll processes to identify efficiency opportunities, support implementation, and assist in developing SOPs, workflows, and knowledge base content.

At least 5 years of payroll processing experience, including 3+ years working directly in the Workday Payroll module.
Demonstrated hands-on experience processing payroll in Workday.
Proficiency in ADP and CloudPay.
Strong understanding of US and Canadian payroll regulations, including multi-jurisdiction requirements.
Willingness and ability to work aligned to US Eastern business hours on an ongoing basis, including adapting to US daylight saving time transitions.
Strong oral and written communication skills, with strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage deadlines.
Highly motivated and team-oriented, with the ability to collaborate effectively within cross-functional teams.

FPC (Fundamental Payroll Certification) or CPP (Certified Payroll Professional) preferred.
Experience operating within an in-house or corporate payroll function, as opposed to a third-party payroll bureau or BPO.
Familiarity with AI, Power BI, and Excel-based reporting.
Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical payroll experience.